


A simple man

by bobadeluxe



Series: Star-Studded [1]
Category: Dungeons and Daddies (Podcast)
Genre: 5 Times, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, At the Mountains of Dadness - Freeform, Bisexual Male Character, Denial of Feelings, Flirting, Getting Together, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Misunderstandings, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Period-Typical Racism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25686223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bobadeluxe/pseuds/bobadeluxe
Summary: Meryl could not take two steps outside without being reminded of someone's wife having untoward thoughts about him. Such was life for an actor of his calibre.It would not surprise him in the least if he had a similar effect on someone's husband, too.(And yet..)[Or the "5 times Stud flirts with Meryl shamelessly and 1 time Meryl reciprocates.]
Relationships: Meryl Streep (Dungeons and Daddies)/Stuart "Stud" Stampler
Series: Star-Studded [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874887
Comments: 35
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Man, I love the grandparents gang. I love that it ended when it did and how it did, but I'll always miss them. The dynamic of a himbo aspiring actor and an arrogant attractive has-been, though..
> 
> Note that English isn't my native language and i Barely keep this coherent so i didnt even attempt to make it sounds period appropriate. Apologies for any inconsistency.

Meryl could not take two steps outside without being reminded of someone's wife having untoward thoughts about him. Such was life for an actor of his calibre. It would not surprise him in the least if he had a similar effect on someone's  _ husband _ , too. Couldn't say he is usually one to enjoy the attention from the same sex, but he realizes a good performance transcends all societal boundaries. It was flattering, even if they never admitted it to his face. The way they blushed a little too much, stuttering as they claimed their totally real wives, sisters, daughters, and lady friends were obsessed with him. 

Stud was the first man to ever confess his attraction (and untoward thoughts too, of course) to Meryl. Though he was not without a doubt that one day some brave men would, the suddenness of it and his  _ genuineness  _ caught him completely off-guard. He had it all planned out for the ladies and their male companions. His pre-signed headshot, his signature smile, the same words of gratitude he repeated to every fan. He never prepared how to respond when it was a man.

So he ignored him.

Which was easier than one would expect. There were more pressing matters at hand that he'd rather be focusing on, and Stud had a peculiar quality about him that made dismissing him very satisfying. Meryl suspected he would forget it soon enough. He was the first man who said it outright without any pretense but, still, he was far from the first  _ person. _ Meryl was aware of his own excellence, thus he cared very little for the approval and validation of others. (Especially when the majority of showbiz consisted of talentless hacks who couldn't recognize a genius even if he was mouthing the alphabet in front of them.)

Except he didn't. He kept thinking about it. Stud's words never escaped his mind, and the plucky carpenter was eager to supply him with even more flattering words.

People have said some truly obscene things to Meryl's face, the likes of which you would never utter out loud to another human being if you had any respect for them at all. Let alone attempting to flatter them. Most of the time, it felt like they regarded him as just another prop on the set. A pretty one perhaps, but still a prop nonetheless. Stud's compliments rung true. You looked into his.. glass eyes.. and just _knew_ his words couldn't be from anywhere but his heart. It infuriated Meryl immensely. He had no idea how to handle it. or _him_. Meryl became accustomed with the glamour and disillusion of Hollywood to the extent that honestly was foreign to him now.

They were damn good lines, too. That was the most upsetting thing about this entire ordeal.

"You know, Mr. Streep, when I got my head shoved into the moviola, before I lost my peepers I uh– I saw Robert running away and well, that really got me in a lather! But I forgive him. I know he didn't mean to leave me behind."

He said to Meryl on their way to the car. Meryl glanced toward their other companions and was relieved to see them engaged in a conversation. Too distracted to have paid them any mind.

"Ah. That was unfortunate indeed." Meryl was nervous all the sudden. Where _ was this going?  _ "Good on you, Stud."

"Anyway what I was trying to say was, I saw you too, sir!" 

His shoulders relaxed a bit as his anxiety dissipated. The memory came rushing back into his mind. Well, not the horrifying Gertrude or Stud's bloody mess of an eye hanging loose out of his socket. Just the part where he saved the day.

"You must've seen my great throw then," Meryl said with a grin.

"I sure did, sir! Boy oh boy, not only you saved my life, you looked so darn good doing it. I watched all your films sir, and I love all of them. But you were always the bad guy in those stories. I always thought it was such a shame."

"Yes, well – "

"I might've lost my eyes, but I was the first person who saw the great Meryl Strep played a hero. No. _ Be _ a hero." Stud smiled so bright Meryl flinched away from him. A reflex of a pure, instinctual level as one would avoid direct exposure to sunlight.

"Why, that made me the luckiest guy in San Dimas," Stud said wistfully, almost to just himself. He sounded so proud of the fact, too.

_ Oh come on. _

"Are you alright there, sir?" Stud asked, having noticed his silence.

Stud turned to Meryl and bent down to look at him, as if he forgot he was blind. His body movements weren't yet adapted to his loss of sight. They were at eyes level now, too close to comfort. The man was annoyingly attractive even with the poorly inserted eyes. And tall. And muscular. 

Meryl's poker face was a work of art, but he never quite mastered his voice in the same way. He ended up stammering like a fool. It sounded like he was choking. 

"I- I'm, I'm fine."

"If you say so, sir," Stud said. He didn't sound convinced, but he did move away. Meryl finally exhaled.

He needed a drink.


	2. Chapter 2

After a series of humiliating events, Meryl had slept on a coach seat last night. Back in the good old days, he would've had a roomette reserved under his name. Food and drinks would be served to him personally with a snap of his finger. The coach seats didn't provide much comfort however, stretching his legs was near impossible let alone lying down to get a proper beauty sleep. (Lying on the bench seemed… beneath him.) So he made do with falling asleep sitting down, alongside his travel companions.

He had to make do with a lot, lately. A good actor must be able to improvise and adapt to whatever thrown his way, that much Meryl knew, but he was beginning to get sick of the mistreatment. He deserved better, damnit. He may haven't been on the silver screen for some time, but the fact that many wives and now one Stud Stampler still yearned to rub their body against him a little bit – well, Stud didn't mention that part, but he assumed – should serve as a testimony of how memorable his performance was!

He angered himself until he was tired; exhaustion and frustration overtook his body. Soon, Meryl fell into a restless sleep. He dreamed of something unintelligible and concerning, which seemed to be the recurring themes of their journey thus far. 

When he was jolted awake by the train, Meryl found himself resting on Stud Stampler's shoulder.

Huh.

At one point during the night, Meryl must've leaned over toward him by accident. The train ride wasn't exactly the smoothest. On the opposite side of him, Robert had his head tipped back on the back of his bench, snoring loudly. He was going to have one hell of a crick in the next when he woke up. Next to him, Hildy leaned over in a similar manner to Meryl, but she ended up resting against the window instead. No one was paying any attention to his compromising position. Everyone was asleep, and earlier nobody cared about passengers in this compartment either. 

Perhaps that was why he didn't feel compelled to move away. No one was looking askance at him for sitting so intimately with a man he barely knew. Besides, Stud's shoulder was surprisingly comfortable. No sharp bones poking out against his temple, just his broad, muscular shoulder, and the warmth seeping from his worn out shirt. Their knees were touching against each other, and Stud's hand was resting on his leg, close to Meryl's thigh. After what they just witnessed today, what they've gone through.. it felt nice to have somebody's presence close next to his. Meryl felt safe, for the first time.

Even though Stud still smelled like blood.

Meryl attempted to fall asleep again, but failed. He was too aware of Stud's body. He could feel, and even  _ hear _ , the man's heartbeat. Stable, steady, a soothing rhythm he could hum along to. Oh well, this wasn't too bad either. At least he could close his eyes and relax. After a while Meryl cracked one eye open, glancing up to take a peek at Stud's sleeping face. He looked peaceful, and annoyingly handsome.

"Slept well, sir?"

Meryl tensed up immediately, his cheeks burned as he began to pull away. Stud –  _ the nerve _ of this man – moved his hand clumsily to Meryl's thigh and tried to hold him still. Not with force per se, but the determination behind it.

"No, no, no, it's okay. It's okay, sir," Stud pleaded. Meryl could feel his breath on his earlobe. "I don't mind. You don't have to move away. Please."

Meryl didn't move away, but he frowned in confusion as he looked up to the other man. Stud felt his gaze on him and bit his lips, sheepish.

"I'm sorry I said anything," Stud whispered.

"..Why are you apologizing?" Meryl asked. Though Stud didn't seem to know why either, judging by his expression. 

"Didn't wanna wake you up, sir." Stud gave him a small smile. "It's been a rough day."

"That it was," Meryl agreed. Stud didn't wake him up, but.. better to go along with it. "I didn't realize you were awake."

It was hard to tell with Stud's eyelids closed, glass eyes deposited inside his pockets.

"I'm an early riser, sir. Had to be especially now that I'm taking care of my nephew– no, my son, Willy. I cook him breakfast and get him ready for school. Though I knew he has been skipping classes.."

Meryl grimaced. "He sounds like a piece of work."

"Oh, I guess he is. He's been going through a lot, though, and he's just a kid. My brother Carl – I love him very much, but he wasn't the nicest guy when he was drunk, if you know what I mean.."

Stud had the tendency to go on a tangent. A fact Meryl became aware of five seconds or so after their first meeting. At first he just ignored his rambling, which Stud must've been used to because he didn't take offense to it. In fact, he wasn't any less enthusiastic to shower Meryl with praises. He could just ignore him again and pretend to fall asleep, but instead Meryl was  _ listening _ to him. Since when did he start to give a nobody, wannabe actor any time of day? How desperate was he?

He liked Stud's voice. He could listen to him rambling on about his (quite frankly) insane nephew all night.

"Are you falling asleep again, sir?" Stud asked with a low, amused chuckle.

Meryl just hummed and shifted closer to him. Stud gently squeezed his thigh, his palm warm as it pressed against his tense muscles.

"How could I be, if you are still asking me questions?" Meryl wanted to tease him, but it came out with more bite than he meant to. 

Stud just chuckled again. Either he was used to the way Meryl talked by now or he wasn't one to be easily offended. Strange, because Meryl didn't peg him as a patient man. He punched R.L Stine right in the face, after all, and his whole speech afterward almost sounded like it was directed to him by association. Stud had no reason to be as nice to him as he was now.

Then again, Meryl's movies were very good.

"You ever slept with a man before, Mr. Streep?"

Meryl pulled himself away from Stud so quick he got lightheaded.  **_"What –"_ **

"Shh! You are going to wake up Robert and Hildy," Stud shushed him. Though he let Meryl go. The warmth of his palm lingered on Meryl's thigh. "I meant, you know, like you just did with me."

"That was the  _ most  _ unfortunate way you could've phrased your question," Meryl coughed to mask his embarrassment. "No, Stud. I do not make a habit out of.. whatever this was."

"Sleeping with men?" Stud unhelpfully added.

"Using them as a pillow on public transports more accurate," Meryl corrected him.

"Aw sir, is that all I am to you?" Before Meryl could answer, Stud continued to say "Well, that is just fine with me! I am honored to be the great Meryl Streep's pillow. Or more. If you know what I mean."

"No, I do not." He really didn't.

Stud smiled. "Okay sir. You just let me know if you need me."

"Phrasing!"

Stud just laughed, much to his dismay.


	3. Chapter 3

Stud regained his sight; it was a miracle. Not the kind that evoked awe, unfortunately. It was disgusting, terrifying, and Meryl would be having nightmares about it for a while (in addition to everything he saw in these past few days.)

Good for him though. Meryl was happy for him. Stud didn't lose his optimism one bit when he was blinded, still as eager as ever to pursue his dream. But Meryl knew from experience that Hollywood did not care to accommodate anyone who didn't fit into the industry standard, for that would require effort and money. Stud knew that too, even though his spirit remained unfazed after the changes he went through.

Could Stud become an actor? Well, if you asked Meryl four days ago, he would've said no. His first impression was that the bright eyed and bushy tailed attitude of his could be endearing only for so long. Stud was tall, handsome, and white, so he would have an easier time landing roles, but that was not sustainable. The industry was full of tall, handsome, white men after all. You had to be irreplaceable. Stud claimed he could sing and dance, but Meryl was skeptical. He could see Stud as a love interest in some unremarkable romantic films, and perhaps an everyman the audience could relate to before he was cucked by a foreign villain. The end.

Then his second impression was that Stud was too much of a goody two shoes for his career to last, if it could even get off the ground in the first place. Meryl lasted this long because he learned to play politics, and buried his standard so deep beneath the ground he didn't even blink anymore when directors asked him to act out their deranged fantasies. Meryl enjoyed the challenges of playing a villain, but he knew the American audience enjoyed seeing him as the sexually charged villain for entirely different reasons. Untoward reasons, one may say. It would be near impossible now for Stud to work in this town after he knocked R.L Stine's tooth out. If he kept being, well,  _ himself _ , it would only get harder. He needed to stop speaking his mind and aligning himself with the underdogs, which didn't seem possible. 

Some people just weren't fit to survive showbiz, despite their talents.

Now, four day later, after having witnessed what Stud went through and how he still maintained his hopes and dreams. If Meryl was asked whether or not Stud could become an actor, his answer would be _ unlikely, but I hope he could. _

He would love to see it.

(Not that Meryl would admit it out loud.)

Stud had scars now. They ran across both of his eyelids in severe, jagged lines, making others wonder what sort of traumatic incident he went through. The mystique added to his charm, and suited his large stature well. He looked rougher _ ,  _ more experienced. The contrast between his scarred face and his sweet smile made Meryl's heart fluttered.

Ugh.

After Meryl told the group about the new comic book Batman, Hildy was intrigued. They decided to make one last stop before leaving Little Rock, and somehow Hildy 'accidentally' bought hundred copies of Detective Comics #27. She left to open a bank account with Robert accompanying her (better to not split the group one by one) so now Meryl was alone with Stud at the comic book store. Together.

"Man, am I glad I got my eyes back!" Stud said to himself as he flipped through a comic book. "You were right sir, I think this man bat could be something!"

"It's Batman."

"What did I say?" Stud blinked.

"Nevermind," Meryl dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "You like it?"

"I like it a lot, sir. I appreciate what I see a lot more now that, you know, I had glass eyes for days. Not looking forward to more Gertrudes of the world, that is for sure. But the colors, the shapes.."

Suddenly he looked over his comic book st Meryl, and gave him his brightest smile.

"You are so pretty, Mr. Streep."

Meryl stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Sir?" Stud tilted his head to the side. Then he looked around to see if anybody was in earshot, but it was just them.

Meryl gulped. "Yes? Thank you?"

Stud frowned. "This can't be news to you? Everyone we met fawned over you."

It  _ was _ news to him. Meryl was used to more sexually aggressive 'compliments'. White women who told him to 'ravage' them and white men who found his charm – in addition to his race – threatening. (Except Robert who outright admitted he was a cuckold, which, okay. At least he knew what he liked.) In his entire career, it has all been body rubbing and untoward feelings. Once again, Meryl didn't know how to respond to this sort of attention, let alone when it came from a man. How could Stud express his attraction so proudly and publicly, Meryl would never know.

Realization dawned on Stud amidst the awkward silence. His expression turned solemn. "Oh, Meryl."

His own name hit Meryl like a brick. "So we are on a first name basis now?"

"Not like you call me Stampler,  _ sir _ ," Stud said and put the comic book back in place. He turned to Meryl, and backed him against the shelf simply by one stride.

"You look just like I remembered. Like you stepped outside of the silver screen into real life," Stud looked him over, appreciating his monochromatic silhouette. "Have I told you I watched all of your movies? I think I have, but you didn't take me seriously. That's fine, though. I think I like you a little mean, like in your movies."

Stud loomed over him with his height. He had both hands inside his pockets, but Meryl felt trapped anyway. He could move to the side, but he was frozen in place. It was different from when they were on the train. The proximity remained more or less the same, but the  _ intensity _ wasn't there before. Maybe it was the scars. Maybe it was just the way Stud looked at him.

"Meryl? Meryl. Look at me, please."

Meryl looked up, his chin raised high.

Stud smiled. "There you are. Beautiful."

"We should wait for the others outside," Meryl finally managed to blurt out. He had enough of this overwhelming feeling of– of?

"Oh, uh, okay," Stud backed away from him as if he's been burned. His bravado disappeared entirely. "Was that too much? I can stop."

"No, that's not it," Meryl sighed and dragged his hand across his face as he led Stud out of the shop. "I like you, Stud. I like the cut of your jib."

"You do?" Stud couldn't hide his excitement even if he tried. "That's great!"

"Yes, yes.. I just don't know how to deal with people like you."

"People like me?"

Meryl wrinkled his nose. "Simpletons."

Stud  _ deflated _ .


	4. Chapter 4

They failed to retrieve the film, and the news broke out like wildfire that consumed Jay Jay Abram's last work along with his poor PAs. R.L Stine wrote him off Blue Planet immediately once the incident became known. Good riddance, Meryl said! As If he wanted to have any part of his blue alien nonsense. That role was beneath him.

He was able to land another role soon enough, because Hildy kept her word and featured Meryl in her scoop. Though he would've preferred she went with the 'Star from the silent era heroically saved the day!' angle, which would've put an emphasis on Meryl and Meryl only. Not the 'Unlikely friends undiscovered the truth behind the scene' thimg she went with. People recognized  _ his  _ name, why not focus on that instead of mentioning a nobody and a lowly line producer?

Hildy understood more than she let on, as she was the only one amongst them who relentlessly pursued the truth. Yet she, either by her editor or her own volition, omitted the truth. She wrote of the cruel treatment people were subjected to in the production of the film, but the nature of that cruelty was more..  _ humane  _ than it actually was. A lot of details were left out, partially due to them not being able to comprehend what they've witnessed, and because the general public would never believe that they did.

It was a fine piece of writing nonetheless. If it helped him secure roles and became relevant again, then this small window of fame should help out Robert and Stud as well. He hoped. Last he heard of Robert, the man was discarded like a piece of trash as if he didn't work for R.L Stine for the past eleven years. He didn't seem fazed, though. Emboldened by the adventure he went on, and the  _ thing  _ responsible for his parents' death, Robert Wilson came into his own as the stuntman he aspired to be. The time off would do him some good too, him and his (now) fiancé Sally had a lot to discuss.

"We haven't settled on a date or anything yet, but we'd love to have you, sir. My girl– fiancé especially," Robert said with a grin.

Meryl scoffed. "You think  _ I  _ would waste my precious time going to your wedding?'

Robert gulped, "Uh, sorry, I just thought.."

"I'm just messing with you, Robbie," Meryl chuckled. "Of course I'd love to go. Send Sally my regard."

Robert perked up. "Thank you, Meryl."

Hildy barely took any time to recover before she was on another case, looking for scoops to keep her name on the front page of San Dimas Defender. She could ride the high from her latest piece for a while, it was unlike anything anyone has ever seen, but she refused to. Meryl respected the hustle, and could relate with her drive. The last time they met up, she told him about a lead she had in New York. A woman like Hildy wouldn't stay still in one place for long, not if there was a truth out there waiting to be discovered. He wouldn't be surprised if she found herself caught in trouble again. Another conspiracy of occult and lime light. 

"So! What did you think of it?" Hildy asked over her cup of coffee.

"Well, you could've given me a bigger part–" Hildy rolled her eyes at him. "– but it was damn amazing, Hildy."

"Damn right it is!" Hildy slammed the cup down. "This is just the beginning of my career! Now that they know what I'm capable of, they will think twice before they dismiss my articles. I already know what would be my next scoop."

"Good for you, Hildy," Meryl said. He meant it, too. His eyes glanced down to the newspaper, going over the same line again and again.

"Something on your mind there, Meryl?" Hildy asked.

"Unlikely  _ friends _ , huh?" He hummed.

Hildy frowned.

Friends. Meryl had acquaintances he secretly hated, connections who wouldn't return his calls, and outright enemies who swore to never work with him again. If the circumstances were different, Meryl couldn't see himself seeking companionship with any of these people. Reporters made his life a living hell, Robert wasn't important enough for him to care, and Stud was a  _ carpenter. _ He did consider them his friends, though. A few days of danger, life, and death, felt like a lifetime of bonding. Meryl was almost..  _ relieved _ that it wasn't just in his head.

"I like it," Meryl admitted. "Thank you."

As for Stud..

Well, who knew what the hell he was up to now.

Meryl lost contact with him. Which in hindsight shouldn't be surprising to him, since Stud was the least involved in showbiz. Even if he  _ did  _ work for Father Owned Film, they wouldn't be seeing each other now that Meryl was attached to another studio's project. Actors and the workers behind the set wouldn't usually be associated with each other, anyway. Stud just happened to stumble upon the scene when they first met. Best case scenario, Stud was back in broadway. More likely, he was working menial jobs providing for his messed up nephew.

They didn't part on a  _ great  _ term. Meryl turned him down by calling him stupid, then there were flung into a combat where Stud lost his marbles and fell into some sort of a mental break down. His cries blended into the screams of the burning bodies. When Meryl regained consciousness, he had a vague feeling that the danger had passed. The  _ entity _ was dismissed, somehow, by Stud. God knew what effect it had on the human mind. The rest was.. a blur.

Meryl thought of calling the Stampler residence, but he didn't want to seem desperate. (He didn't want to risk Stud's nephew picking up the call either. Kid didn't sound right.) He might be at Robert's wedding, if those two still keep in touch with each other. Maybe Meryl would see him then. However long he had to wait.

He hoped Stud was doing okay.

Life went on. Meryl played a few villains in movies that didn't end up doing too well. He got paid and managed to keep himself afloat amidst his financial disasters, but nothing he did could compare to his early work during the silent era. As the news of Jay Jay Abram began to lose the public interest, he could see himself fading into obscurity by his own eyes. Critics were brutal, the audience unappreciative, and the directors were  _ miserable  _ to work with. He almost wished the film wasn't lost in the flame. A monstrosity it may have been, but it had his best performance to date.

He didn't think of Stud Stampler for a long time, until the wedding invitation arrived. Then Stud Stampler was the only thing he could think about. Would he be there? Was he alright? Meryl wanted to see him again, and he couldn't explain  _ why _ . He wanted to catch up with Hildy and Robert too, of course, but that was different. 

He put on his best suit and told himself that he was  _ not  _ trying to impress Stud. Especially when he didn't even know if the man would be there. Hildy brought her camera, since she was going to write about the wedding. That woman never stopped working. Her idea of a break was just writing a smaller, more frivolous piece. Meryl doubted many people would care about some no name stuntman getting married, but Sally must feel special with all the attention she was getting on her wedding day. A reporter taking her photo, and a Hollywood star (Meryl, obviously) was on the guest list. Though she barely paid them any attention, her eyes were on nothing and no one but her groom. That was a good sign.

Meryl has been invited to a lot of weddings; he could tell if a couple was going to last. Some couples would be in their own separated world, couldn't keep their hands from each other like Sally and Robert. While some couples treat their wedding like an obligation they'd rather just get over it or worse a publicity stunt. Too many wives came onto him while their husbands were busy licking some investor's boots. Considering the nightmare weddings he's been to, those two were going to be just fine.

"Hey Hildy, have you seen Stud?"  _ Might as well ask. _

Hildy stopped taking photos for a second to respond, "Not yet. He's probably running late."

_ Huh. So he was coming, then.  _ "You two still keeping in touch?"

"I tried to," Hildy said, with a somewhat apologetic tone to her voice. "I'm too busy these days, and he's got his hands full with his adopted son."

Meryl suspected as much. "The San Dimas Strangler."

Hildy chuckled. "You are joking, but I have very strong evidence against him."

Hildy turned back to taking photographs. Meryl grabbed himself a drink, raising one glass for the poor San Dimas cats, and another one for the newlyweds. (The rest were just for him.)

The wedding was lovely. Very..  _ Christian _ . Traditional. Not the most extravagant Meryl has been to, but there was something charming about Sally's simple, hand-sewn dress, and their modest reception. Meryl watched the pair dance along to  _ O Perfect Love  _ and took another stiff drink. Perhaps he should just ask for the whole bottle, for convenience sake.

"Hello, sir!"

Meryl almost choked on his drink. He managed to swallow it down in a passably dignified manner, but he felt it  _ in  _ his nose. God.

"Stud!" Meryl hoped he sounded surprised, and not overly eager. "I didn't see you there. How's it been?"

"Just fine, sir. Our adventure was exciting and all, but I have to say I'm glad things are back to 'normal' now," Stud said and settled next to him near the bar. "You look great."

"I know," Meryl said.

Stud chuckled.

"..What?"

"Nothing sir," Stud quickly responded. "It's good to see you again, and to see that you haven't changed one bit."

_ Oh, right. He was supposed to compliment him back. _

Eh.

Stud  _ did  _ look different though; he dressed up for the occasion. The worn out shirt, slacks, and suspenders were replaced with a proper suit. It was obviously cheap and at least a size smaller than Stud, but it highlighted his figure nicely. Navy wasn't his color, but he wore it well.

"You know, I felt it when I didn't have my eyes, but now that I can see – you sure stare at me a lot, Mr. Streep."

Meryl rolled his eyes. "We are talking. Where else am I supposed to look?"

"That's.. true," Stud conceded. "I just wondered if you– if you like what you see. Haha."

"Fishing for compliments, huh?" Meryl looked him over. "I've seen better. Get a new suit. You should at least have a good one for your auditions. Try wool."

"Oh! Thanks for the advice, sir. Let me jot that down in my diary." Stud reached inside his jacket.

Meryl raised an eyebrow. "You carry a diary with you?"

"A journal, I guess. I don't really see the difference though." He flipped the leather bound notebook open, and grabbed a pen from his pocket. "Audition.. suit.."

"Wool."

"Wool..." 

By the time Stud looked up from his notebook, Meryl already got himself another drink. A force of habit, really. He needed something for his hand to hold onto. Stud frowned at him.

“Should you be drinking that fast, sir?” Stud asked, hesitantly. 

“No.”

He could see the gears turning in Stud’s head right then and there. Before Stud could launch into his tragic alcoholic brother spiel, Meryl added, “I’m not an alcoholic, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Not yet, anyway. The liquor he bought had got to go somewhere. The resale value wouldn’t be worth half the cost he illegally obtained them, now that the prohibition was lifted.

“I just worry about you in general, sir,” Stud confessed with a low, quiet voice.

_ Great. Now Meryl felt guilty. _

He pushed his drink into Stud’s hand. “Consider me scolded.”

They talked to each other for a while. Stud had managed to keep up with his recently released movies, which made Meryl feel even more guilty because he didn’t keep in touch with Stud at all. He’s been doing well, busy with construction work, that nephew of his was still as troublesome as ever, but at least no more cats were harmed. 

There was no mention of his actor career. Stud was solely focused on raising Willy. 

They spent time catching up with the rest of the gang. Hildy was especially pleased to see that Stud’s eyes were working well. When the ceremony was over, Stud turned to ask him, “How are you getting home, sir?”

“Well, my driver…”  _ Lies. He couldn’t afford to keep his personal driver on the payroll anymore. Hadn’t been able to for years.  _ “...had to leave early to take care of some family business.”

“Oh! I hope they are alright. Though surely you’re not going to drive in this condition?”

He was going to anyway. He drank knowing full well he would have to drive on the way home, which he supposed made Stud a better man than he was. Not that he didn’t already know.

Stud noticed his lack of response (and how Meryl was  _ barely  _ able to keep his eyelids open, despite Stud cutting him short earlier) so he offered: “I can drive you home? I took the bus here.”

It didn’t take Meryl long to agree. “Very well. Thank you.”

It was the sensible thing to do, and a good excuse to keep Stud to himself just a little bit longer.

“Wow! You  _ actually _ got a Duesenberg!” Stud sounded genuinely surprised, which stung Meryl pride quite a bit. He must have seen through Meryl’s lies then, and were just playing along because he was… nice. Damn him.

“Of course I do, did you doubt  _ me _ ?” Meryl scoffed. “Be careful with her now.”

“Yes, sir!”

Truth be told, Meryl shouldn’t have his car still. He couldn’t afford the maintenance costs, and he already struggled paying for gas as it was. If he had sold the damn thing, his finances would be a whole lot easier to manage. He couldn’t bear to sell it though, because in doing so he would be officially  _ giving up _ . Just the thought of someone seeing Meryl Streep taking a bus sent chills down his spine. The second Meryl stopped holding himself as the star, he would cease to be one. He would just.. Crashed and burned to the ground, like a comet.

Meryl sat next to Stud instead of the passenger seat, for some reasons. As they drove through the streets of San Dimas, Meryl ended up resting his head on Stud’s shoulder. Like old times. If that made driving more difficult, then Stud chose not to nudge him away. He didn’t smell like blood anymore, and the streetlights illuminated his jawlines so wonderfully.

“You’re staring at me again,” Stud said.

“I’m drunk.”

“You know, you keep giving me mixed signals,” He sighed. “I half-expected you to punch me and call me a queer. Not that you  _ should _ , but some men take offense to this sort of thing.”

Meryl blinked. “You should’ve kept it to yourself, then. Lest someone take offense.”

“I should, shouldn’t I?” Stud agreed with a quiet laugh. “I’d rather not, though. I’d rather just be honest. Sure, the things I say may get me into a heap of troubles – I think you know that already. I may look naive, foolish, and what have you, but the risk is worth it if I can be true to myself. If you know that I – “

“You  _ what? _ ” He couldn’t make out Stud between his eyelashes. His own heartbeats sounded like a drum in his ears.

“That I’m attracted to you,” Stud whispered. “This is me being honest.”

“I know.”

“Hahaha, right –” Stud slammed on the break. The car screeched to a halt. “Wait, you  **_knew?!”_ **

“I mean. I think I always knew. I just didn't want to believe it. You said that – you said that when we first met. You had untoward feelings about me, right?”

“I thought you didn’t take me seriously,” Stud was astonished. His mouth was hanging open. “Did you? Sir?”

“Meryl?”

Meryl fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Meryl did _not_ wake up on his bed, and there was a kid watching him with the most intense, haunted stare. He bolted upright and _screamed._

"Oh geez, Willy!" Stud rushed into the room, looking harried. "I told you, it's not polite to watch people when they sleep!"

"Wait, _that_ is Willy?!"

Willy rolled his eyes at his uncle, and then turned back to Meryl. After only a few seconds that somehow felt like an eternity, he shrugged, already bored with Meryl, and muttered _Whatever_ as he left the room.

"I'm so sorry sir," Stud apologized with a sheepish smile. "I didn't know he was in here. I was outside making sure he didn't slash your tires."

Oh god.

"He didn't, by the way."

"It's fine, Stud." Meryl was still groggy from sleep earlier, but now he was wild awake. "Why am I at your house?"

"You didn't tell me your address, sir. You fell asleep, remember?"

"..Right."

"So I carried you inside and, uh, made sure you were comfortable. I hope that's alright."

Meryl tried his best to _not_ imagine how Stud carried him with his big, big arms. (Were carpenters usually this muscular?) Stud took off his jacket, shoes, and tie, but otherwise everything was intact. Meryl appreciated it, he wasn't _too_ drunk but it wouldn't have been pretty if he choked on vomit in his sleep.

In a way, he felt relieved that they didn't go to his place. Meryl sold his mansion a long, long time ago. Now he was just living in a shitty apartment that he was ashamed to bring anyone to. Unlike his car, Meryl didn't hesitate to sell his mansion. He never realized how empty it would be when he wasn't throwing parties every week. Besides, he didn't have the money to hire maids for the ten (or more) rooms he didn't use. It was for the best. His apartment still felt lonely, but at least it didn't constantly remind him of _how it used to be._

"Thank you Stud," Meryl said and got off the bed. "I owe you one – "

He looked up and made eye contact with _himself_ on Stud's bedroom wall. A poster from one of his earlier films.

" _Oh_ , this is precious." Meryl grinned as he admired himself. He looked great. Didn't age a year since then!

"Uh." Stud was blushing from head to toes. "I.. forgot about that."

"I was a Japanese secret agent in this one, wasn't I? Yes, I had an affair with the protagonist's wife. A threat to the American lifestyle in all aspects!"

Stud squirmed in place. "Is it bad I have this poster?"

Meryl laughed quietly to himself. He didn't mind. It was amusing to him more than anything else. Though apparently he liked to see Stud flustered. 

"It's fine, Stud." Meryl looked at himself sneering back at him, and couldn't help but wonder out loud. "Perhaps I will get to play the hero one of these days."

Unlikely considering his past roles, but it was something to think about.

"I look forward to it, sir." Stud put one hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

That was when the memories of last night flooded back into his mind. 

He acknowledged that Stud was attracted to him, and now he had no plausible deniability. If he were to continue ignoring Stud's advances, it would just look like he was turning Stud down or worse leading him on. Stud didn't bring it up yet, but it was bound to come up soon enough. What would he do, then?

Meryl was supposed to be good at this, wasn't he? He was no stranger to using his charm to get what he wanted. He did plenty of that during their endeavor, he even impressed the monster that was Jay Jay with his acting! Except Stud was different. Meryl actually _cared_ about Stud's feelings and what he thought of him. The rest were just a mean to an end, executives, fans, one night stands, and the likes. Stud was his friend.

He didn't want to mess this up.

Stud took his hand off of his shoulder. "I need to get to work soon. Can you drive home on your own? You can use the shower before you go, and there are some coffee in the kitchen – "

"I shouldn't impose." Meryl looked around the room. He put on his shoes and tie in a hurry, desperate to get out of this situation before it escalated. He needed time to think about.. _everything._

"Oh, uh, okay, let me walk you out?"

Meryl nodded (he couldn't think of a reason to turn him down) and let Stud lead him outside.

Before he could get into his car, Stud stopped him. He was backed against the Duesenberg, Stud's hands kept him in place at both sides of his waist. He leaned in close.

"I hope we will see each other again soon," Stud whispered. "Maybe we can get a cup of coffee or something?"

"That sounds great, Stud." Meryl regretted not keeping in contact with him, so he will take any excuse to reconcile that.

Stud grinned from ear to ear, he looked so happy as he leaned down to kiss him.

Meryl freezed in place. He was caught by surprise and couldn't respond in time. His brain was panicking between _Stud was kissing him!!_ , _Oh god they were outside_ , _What if Willy saw them,_ and _Wait why was Stud doing this when he knew Meryl didn't brush his teeth_. Just an accumulation of unintelligible thoughts arguing back and forth between each other. When he finally collected himself, Stud already pulled away. The kiss ended so quick Meryl almost thought it was just his imagination, if Stud didn't look _absolutely_ terrified.

"Oh no, oh god no." Stud stepped back from him. "I'm sorry. I misread the situation so _bad_. I should've asked – no, I shouldn't – I shouldn't have done anything. I thought you were.. last night you.. I should go."

"Wait, Stud. I don't – "

"I think I heard Willy. He might be up to no good again. I need to go. Bye!"

He probably was, but Meryl recognized an excuse when he heard one. Just like that, Stud bolted back into his house, slamming the door shut after him.

So much for not messing this up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meryl probably smelled terrible too but Stud was too gay to not kiss him at that point LMAO


	6. Chapter 6

"Operator, I would like to send a telegram to Stud Stampler.." Meryl told her the address.

"Right away, sir. What is your message?"

Meryl then realized he had to talk to another human being – _to her face –_ about accidentally turning down a man who kissed him last week. She was listening to him with her full attention, too. More so than she ever cared for other Average Joes and their mundane telegrams, because he was the star _Meryl Streep._

Nevermind being direct.

"In Brooklyn for work STOP will be back tonight," _Wait, why was he starting_ all the way _over THERE?_ "No, STOP. As in, actually stop. Stop the message. Start over."

"Of course, Mr. Streep." _She was totally going to charge him for that, wasn't she?_

"Sorry about what happened," Meryl cringed at his own words. That was too vague. "STOP. Sorry I didn't.. reciprocate?"

She perked up immediately at his words, even as her fingers continued typing. Damnit.

"No, nevermind. Start over."

She gave him her best customer service smile. 

".. Forgot jacket at your place. STOP. Bring it over this weekend. STOP. Please."

Nailed it.

* * *

Work took Meryl away from San Dimas for the past week. He could only imagine what that looked like from Stud's perspective. He said they would meet up and keep in touch, Stud kissed him, then he disappeared without a word. The ball was in his court, and he fumbled it at every opportunity possible. He couldn't help but feel like it was up to him now to make things right because of that. If nothing else, he wanted to make sure they were still friends or that Meryl didn't break his heart too bad. Stud was a good man, and he didn't deserve the emotional turmoil Meryl put him through because of his own indecisiveness.

Although Meryl had no idea how to fix this situation he caught himself into. Not like he had a lot of experience when it came to men (or women for that matter.) With his career such as it was, a relationship was either too much of a liability. He couldn't commit, and dating was a disaster when you were a celebrity. He thought if he saw Stud's face, he would know what to do by then. As in some instincts inside him would just activate. (Despite past evidence suggesting that things usually went south when he was in any proximity close to Stud.)

He could wing it. A good actor must know how to improvise. He got the role in Jay Jay's godforsaken movie because of his adlib, didn't he? Meryl got this.

(He had to. He _needed_ to or else he would never be able to live with himself. Ever.)

There was, of course, a chance Stud would just ignore his telegram and never talk to him again. The possibility was frighteningly high. He could just go to Stud's house now that he knew where the man lived, but.. well, Meryl saved that for his last option. Perhaps Stud would give him another chance, that way he wouldn't feel like a creep for showing up to the house where he lived with his adopted son uninvited.

So Meryl waited

waited

and waited.

The weekend came and passed, thirty minutes now after Sunday. Meryl doubted Stud would show up to his shitty apartment now at nearly one in the morning. Well. That didn't go quite as planned. Meryl contemplated what time he should show up at Stampler Residence. He could catch Stud in the morning before he had to work, but they wouldn't have much time to talk and _god forbid_ Willy was around. In the evening would be much more ideal, but who knew when he got off work. Meryl didn't even know what his work days were, let alone his work hours. He supposed he could just go over there everyday and hoped for the best. Ha! Imagine what sort of rumors will get out..

For now though, he just wanted to drown in the bathtub and moan about how pathetic his life became. He used to have orgies in his lavish mansion goddamnit, but now he was hung up on one man who wasn't even.. _anybody._ Not in showbiz anyway. What was more pathetic was that he messed up his chance because he was too _flustered._ Him. Meryl Streep. Flustered!

Meryl threw himself a pity party until his skin was prunes and he was interrupted by a knock on the door. Frustrated, he put on a bathrobe and stormed over to the door. Damn this rat-infested apartment and its inconsiderate neighbors.

"What business could you possibly have with me at TWO in the morning – "

Stud stared at his wet, half-naked body. "Uh. It's me, sir. Hi."

Meryl felt like he was turning monochromatic again. This started off on the worst possible note.

"Sorry," Meryl quickly said. He most likely would be saying that word a lot tonight. "I didn't know you were coming. It's late."

"I got off work late today. I work on the weekend, too." Jesus, now Meryl felt inconsiderate for making him come all the way over to his place. "Oh, and you didn't tell me your address. Again. I had to ask Robert, and that took days..."

"Sorry," Meryl said. Again. 

"It's alright," Stud said and handed his jacket to him. "Here you go, sir. We don't want you to lose your audition now without your good suit!"

Oh god why did he have to be so nice. Meryl might be in love with him.

"Would you please come inside?" Meryl asked instead of taking the jacket. Right. The jacket. "My hands are.. wet."

Stud didn't look convinced. "You should just take it, sir. I don't think I want to stay here too long."

Nevermind, abort, abort, _abort._ This jacket no longer served any purpose. It was becoming a clutch. "Wait, no, that wasn't it. I want to talk to you."

Stud grimaced. "I think I got your message loud and clear last time."

He was about to insist that Stud come inside because _his neighbors loved to gossip, he had a reputation to uphold, this was important and could not wait_ – all that jazz. Then he remembered what Stud said about taking a risk to be true to himself, to speak about his feelings, and suddenly Meryl wanted to return the gesture too. Damn the consequences.

"Remember your question on the train? It was true, I **NEVER** slept with a man."

"Uh, actually sir, let's do this inside. I don't mind it after all."

Meryl reached over and grabbed both of his hands between his wet, pruny palms. "No, you just listen!"

"Okay?!"

"It was why I reacted the way I did. Why I've been dismissing your.. advances. It wasn't because I was repulsed by you or the idea of you."

"Oh, wow," Stud looked relieved. "So you were just… flustered?"

Meryl coughed. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"To be honest sir, yeah. You are just so charming. I never thought.. Though I guess it makes sense, what with the way you reacted when I called you pretty – "

"Nevermind, you got the right idea. Let's not do this in the hallway."

Stud bursted out into laughter as Meryl dragged him inside his cramped, filthy apartment. He didn't react at all though, even when he had to step around empty bottles and piles of laundry. He just laughed and laughed – If Meryl thought he liked the sound of Stud's voice, then he was in love with his laughter. Stud was stronger and much bigger than him, but he allowed himself to be pulled along at Meryl's mercy. He put up no resistance at all, not when the door was closed behind him and he was shoved right up into it. Meryl got him now. Hook, line, and..

"Come here, _stud ,_ hold _your_ body close to mine, and rub it against me a little bit.."

Meryl winked. Stud stopped laughing immediately and _gasped_ out loud. He was blushing all pink and pretty from his cheeks to his neck. His famous line always worked like a charm, of course it would work on his number one fan too. 

What he didn't expect to happen though, was that Stud would just pull him into a hug. His jacket was discarded and forgotten somewhere on the floor. Stud wrapped his arms tight around Meryl's waist, while his chin rested on his shoulder. Meryl could feel him breathing on his neck, and even though it sent chills down his spine, Stud kept things very.. innocent. He just squealed like an overenthusiastic fan, which wasn't an inaccurate description of him. It was as if Stud was determined to be his first everything. The first man to seduce him, and the first man to react like _this_ to his catchphrase.

"..Is this what you think I mean when I say this line? I was just asking ladies for hugs?" Meryl did hug him back, though. He patted Stud on the back a bit.

"Well, no." _Oh. Good to know._ "I just.. want to hug you right now. You made me really happy."

Meryl blushed. "Ah. The pleasure's all mine, Stud."

"Mm. You smell nice," Stud buried his nose into Meryl's neck. "Do I make you happy, too?"

"Strangely enough considering the circumstances we met – Yes, you do." Meryl tried to suppress his shivers. He was not successful. "If you would have me, I would love to be with you."

Stud pulled back and looked at him wide-eyed. "Got to say, sir. That line is even better than your famous one."

"Don't keep me in suspense now," he chuckled. "And it's 'Meryl' to you now."

"Of course I would, Meryl. Was there any doubt?" Stud said, a little out of breath.

"Many, many of them." Meryl had to admit. He messed up so many times now he could hardly believe this was happening.

He grinned. "Let me put those doubts to rest, then."

Stud leaned down to kiss him, and this time Meryl kissed him back without a moment of hesitation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And as Henry would say, that was a wrap! Thank you so much for reading!! I really didn't expect this to get any comment at all tbh, I'm very flattered that y'all liked it so much. Y'all encouraged me to write more of these two (and this fandom in general) now though, so now y'all gotta bear with my bullshit!!
> 
> Here are some thoughts I didn't talk about in the past chapters. It's just me rambling tho tbh so feel free to skip it.
> 
> \- I thought of writing some Grandpa Porn, hence the Rating May Change tag. Though the rating ended up not changing after all, because it felt right to end on a sweet note rather than a Saucy one. Maybe next time though. It would probably be about Stud's huge [BEEP] or smth. I'm not very creative.
> 
> \- Since Meryl is loosely based on Sessue Hayakawa, a lot of Meryl's experience with showbiz was based off of his too. Though I think the difference is that Meryl *did* enjoy the villain role quite a bit, though he's not unaware of typecasting and how others percieve him. (Even if it does feed into his ego & he's willing to use it to his advantage.)
> 
> \- I like to think he IS a great actor, though more so with his body rather than his voice. (Since he was goddamn awful reading the lines for his audition LMAO.) 
> 
> \- I didn't get to go much into Hildy and Robert as I'd like to since this was focused on Meryl and Stud. Next time for sure! I'd like to write about them going into another Cosmic Horror nonesense, even if horror isn't my strong suit haha. I like how amod ended and thought it was appropriate. So I wouldn't consider my fic a 'fix-it'. Just that I wanna have fun with them more so they gotta be alive now lmao
> 
> \- I had the thought that Willy would be a better person if he was raised by Stud. He gave up on his dream to provide for Willy after all, despite how much he still believes in it. That spoke volume of how he valued his commitment (especially with how he referred to Willy as his son!) Though in a way, that line of thought is similar to the 'Abuse victims inevitably become abusers themselves!!' trope which is garbo. People can be shitty regardless if they had the best childhood growing up, so in this universe Willy wouldn't change much.
> 
> \- I found Beth's description of Stud as 'untainted by toxic masculinity' very interesting, considering the time period he grew up in. So I wanted him to have Ron's best qualities, but with more confidence/more straightforward and such. 
> 
> \- I can't remember if Meryl was Chinese or if he was called 'The Chinese' because of Racism™, so I kept it a bit vague. (It's not uncommon for Chinese characters to play a Japanese characters (and other variations of that.)) The description of that movie plot was based loosely off of one of Sessue Hayakawa's movies.
> 
> \- I love that somehoe in-universe Meryl's terrible line made everyone nutted themselves, even a fucking eldritch monster.
> 
> \- Apparently you write down the message you want and then they will send the telegram for you, but I want him to do it like they did in the podcast becasue it was funny lol


End file.
